“The Book That Wrote Me: 8 Steps to Remember, Recreate, and Liberate Your Life”

All people have a story to tell, whether they know it or not: This is the premise of “The Book That Wrote Me: 8 Steps to Remember, Recreate, and Liberate Your Life.” The authors walk their readers (and soon-to-be authors) through telling their life stories in small, simple steps – beginning with identifying the eight most significant moments of their lives.

In its introduction, “The Book That Wrote Me” notes that it’s important to include memories of all kinds – joyful, painful, disappointing or ecstatic. To support participants in naming and identifying the emotions associated with these moments, each chapter is prefaced by a short breakdown of a particular emotion, such as anger, sadness, fear, joy or love. The section preceding the first chapter, “About Joy and Happiness,” identifies the difference between joy, which is caused by balance and inner peace, and happiness, which results from external events. The one preceding the fourth chapter, “About Fear,” explores fear as a gateway to self-discovery and self-trust. While there are eight chapters – each of which is meant to explore a life event – they aren’t expected to correlate with the emotion described at the chapter’s outset.

“The Book That Wrote Me” Makes Space for More Than Words

In addition to lined pages, on which participants are encouraged to describe these life-changing moments, each chapter contains several blank pages for related drawings or collage, as well as a mandala. The authors suggest ending each chapter by coloring a suitable mandala, while centering the intention for self-discovery, fun and healing.

An elderly woman uses a guide to explore her life.

“The Book That Wrote Me” would be an ideal gift for a loved one who is aging, or engaging in a life review to identify the important and meaningful aspects of their life. It breaks participants’ stories down into eight manageable key moments, while providing opportunities for reflection, emotional processing and therapeutic recovery. “The Book That Wrote Me” is highly appropriate for people unfamiliar with writing, while more experienced storytellers may also enjoy its creative bent. Because the authors suggest using a variety of pencils, pens, crayons, and other drawing and collage materials, one might consider including these when giving it as a gift.

And if the recipient doesn’t feel ready? Encourage them with the notion that everyone has a story to tell, “because,”as the authors write, “there is no such thing as a boring or unspectacular life. This world is magnificent because there are over 7 billion human stories in it with over 7 billion authors. Can you imagine the wonder?”